History of Burgundy Wine: Domaine de Cromey Through The Ages

Domaine de Cromey Embodies The History of Wine in Burgundy

Our home in Burgundy is a gem of a place, with a rich history going back many centuries. There’s so much to see and do here that we took the decision years ago to open it to guests, who can stay with us and experience the full majesty of the place – living like lords and ladies, amongst the vines! 

In this article, we take a look back through time, to chart the origins of the place and meet the figures from the history of Burgundy wine who played a part in it’s becoming what it is today – a much-loved home, a dream holiday destination, a centre of viticulture and gastronomic excellence, and a base for the exploration of all of Burgundy.  

The Birth of Cromey: 500 Years of Burgundy Wine

It’s not often one gets to live in a place where the household archives stretch back half a millennium. That’s the lucky position we’re in here at Domaine de Cromey, and boy, do they tell a story: the story of the history of Burgundy wine.

Local historians say they see what they think to be remains of a 12th-century ‘motte and bailey’ – a type of castle or fortification. This would then have been a key location on the road between Nolay and Couches - both strongholds of the Burgundians in the Feudal and Middle ages. But our story begins in the pages of these old household documents – wage slips, records of purchases, for example – which show that the property was well up and running by the mid-1500’s. At this point, however, the locals knew it as – and called it – a chateau, though it was really a sort of large farm for the Chateau de Dracy, located across the valley.   

We know by other evidence left to us to this day (like our enormous wine press and extensive cellars!) that it was already an important centre of winemaking. This probably reflects the importance of the Lords of Dracy and Cromey, both of whom have chapels dedicated to their memories at Autun cathedral. 

The architecture of our beloved Cromey is in keeping with another wonderful building in this neck of the woods – the castle in the nearest town to us, Couches (whose appellation incidentally produces some excellent wines you can find on our wine shop here). The Chateau de Couches, just a few minutes’ walk down the road, also dates to the cusp of the 14th / 15th century. Fascinating to think, therefore, that these important Burgundy strongholds are contemporaneous with the birth of the ‘New World’, which would of course build its own reputation in wine. 

The signs of the viticulture that went on here are sometimes found in unusual places; the arrow-slit apertures that we have in one of the main barns, for example, are not for defensive purposes as you might suppose, nor are they a type of early window. In fact, they are to allow carbon dioxide gas to escape which had built up during the fermentation of vats of grapes.  

As the decades came and went, this sort of innovation remained a part of life at Cromey, necessary as it was to good viticulture throughout the history of Burgundy wine. For example, what to do about a water supply? There were no wells around this far back, and therefore they had to look up into the hills of the vineyards which surrounded the property, to the natural springs. A sort of water capture system fed into a series of hand-hewn, sealed stone gutters that led directly to a fountain in the main courtyard. How do we know this? We have our old maps of the property to thank. The fountain, it seems, helped to reduce some of the pressure the water was under as it came down from the hillside. From there, it was channelled to wherever it was needed on the Cromey estate – to the wash house, to the fish pond, and to a small stream with a waterfall at the bottom of the property, which we’re pleased to say we have retained to this day. Even the main cellar has its own water spring to supply it, along with a system of stone-cut guttering to divert water from the cellar out to the wash basins.  

Time passed and the French Revolution in the late 18th century brought about dramatic changes to the French aristocracy, and the Château de Cromey was no exception. The estate was seized by revolutionary forces, and its noble owners were forced to flee. During this period, the château was repurposed, serving various functions, including as a military barracks and later as a local government office. 

In the early 19th century, following the Napoleonic Wars, the château was returned to private ownership. It was acquired by a wealthy bourgeois family who restored the property, preserving its historical elements while modernizing it for contemporary living. The family also expanded the vineyards surrounding the estate, as Burgundy's wine industry was becoming increasingly prominent. 

Cromey: A New Chapter in the History of Burgundy Wine 

As the ages came and went through the long history of Burgundy wine, Cromey endured. The 20th century brought further changes to the Château de Cromey, and in the aftermath of World War I and the economic turmoil that followed, the estate fell into a period of decline. It was sold several times, and by the mid-20th century, it was in a state of disrepair. However, the château's fortunes revived in the latter half of the century when it was purchased by a group of preservationists who recognized its historical significance. Through extensive restoration efforts, the Château de Cromey was brought back to its former glory.   

Then another milestone in Cromey’s long history occurred in 2014… when we arrived at Cromey! But certain changes had happened with the passage of time, which meant that a huge amount of work would be needed if we were ever to realise our dream of making wine here once more.  

To take just one example, the main water captor had been blocked (because the fountain in the courtyard had been removed, and they needed to stop the flow of water towards the main buildings). This meant that the springs overflowed onto the ground in the scrub forest, forming a 'delta-like' situation, with water running in an uncontained river. Undeterred, however, we have spent many years since then transforming the land here and turning back the hands of time.  

First we cleared the scrub forest, uprooting the many stumps, which then allowed the land to be drained. This was achieved by digging lateral drains across the top of the vineyard, which fed into an existing stream (which just so happens to irrigate our main vegetable garden and leads to the charming waterfall we mentioned earlier).  

Then the really fun stuff happened - the latest chapter in the history of Burgundy wine in these parts. 2019 saw us plant our first vines, with a first experimental harvest in 2022. The Domaine de Cromey now once more has its own vineyard – seven acres called the Clos de Chateau. We’ve partnered with Domaine Ami, a duo of innovative winegrowers renowned for their quality winemaking in the Maranges Valley, near Domaine de Cromey in Burgundy. Domaine Ami, (meaning 'friend' in French) was founded by Sommelier Paul Marchand-Perarnau and oenologist Willy Roulendes, and their organic and biodynamic methods result in exceptionally appetizing wines, each with its own unique character. All the wines can be found on BurgundyWine.com by Elden Selections.  

(There are even plans to re-plant another of the Cromey vineyards (classified as AOC Bourgogne) in the meadow above the present-day vegetable garden – watch this space for more details!) 

In September 2023, we celebrated our second harvest. It included Pinot Noir Bourgogne Rouge 'Le Clos' Monopole and the Bourgogne Blanc 'Le Clos'. We’re particularly proud that all the wines are produced using biodynamic methods, in a vineyard that has never been treated with chemical fertilizers or pesticides.  

That’s because the history of Burgundy wine is there not only to inform us, but to be respected – the whole ethos of Cromey. We learn from the past and incorporate as much as we can of the tried and tested ways the ancestral people of this land taught us. But we do it without being afraid of looking to the future – trying new things, working with new friends, and creating a proud history of our own that the next generation can look back on. 

We hope you've enjoyed learning about the history of Burgundy wine through the story of Cromey. Make sure to explore our BurgundyWine.com blog, where you can find our recent article on purchasing wines at the Hospices de Beaune. We also offer a fascinating and informative monthly newsletter that provides you with the latest news and commentary from your favorite wine region. And remember, you can visit us at our Burgundian manor house – Domaine de Cromey. Click this link to learn more!